Pet toys having noisemaking devices, commonly referred to as “squeakers”, are well known. Most pet toys incorporating squeakers are made from a flexible elastomeric material, such as rubber, plastic, and various formulations thereof. When the animal chews on the toy, a hollow cavity or interior of the toy is deflected such that air is forced through the squeaker device, thereby producing a sound.
There are some problems associated with squeakers placed in pet toys. One problem is that squeakers can become exposed as an animal continually chews on the toy. One natural behavior for many animals is to make an attempt to “kill” the toy by chewing through the material of the toy in order to access and bite on the squeaker. In some cases, the animal may inadvertently aspirate the squeaker along with parts of the toy, which can result in choking Another problem associated with squeakers is that an animal may lose interest in the toy because the squeaker makes a single sound which fails to stimulate the animal over time. Another problem associated squeakers is that the squeaker itself can become damaged and therefore inoperable when the animal applies pressure to an area overlying the squeaker, and even if the animal does not bite directly on the squeaker. In cases such as this, the squeaker is not adequately protected from indirect forces applied by the animal as the animal bites or chews on the toy.
Therefore, there is still a need to provide a pet toy incorporating a squeaker in which the squeaker is maintained in a protected position within the toy. There is yet further a need to provide a pet toy in which the squeaker has the capability to produce multiple sounds, which may encourage greater interaction with the animal over a longer period of time. There is also need to provide a pet toy design in which more than one squeaker can be used as a redundant feature for noisemaking purposes if one of the squeakers becomes damaged and inoperable.